


In My Life

by jaytheforce



Series: Ticket to Ride [1]
Category: Men's Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, Slow Burn, Stevie works in journalism, apparently i'm snarky, basques are my faves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 9,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24788296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaytheforce/pseuds/jaytheforce
Summary: The full story, from the beginning, of how they fell in love. Ups, downs and in betweens.
Relationships: Xabi Alonso/Steven Gerrard
Series: Ticket to Ride [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042851
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	1. 2004

**Author's Note:**

> Danny is Danny Murphy.  
> Harry is Harry Kewell. 
> 
> This is a prelude, or intro if you'd like, to something else that I am working on. Somehow the background of Stevie and Xabi came easier than the main story.

2004 – 

London is big and busy and he doesn't like it. Smells funny too. After what feels like hours of walking around trying to find a bog standard pub (nothing too posh because he won't fit in, and nothing too pretentious where the beer is served out of mason jars), he finally found a place that seemed decent, and not too pricey either. After the day he's had, he just wants to sit down and have a pint in peace. Except everything in London is loud. He's tried smiling at a few strangers as he's passed them on the street but all he's been getting in return are dirty looks. It's not like he's propositioned anyone. He pays for his drink and perches himself up on the stool by the bar. The place is crowded as it is and he doesn't really fancy walking around looking for a seat anywhere else. He'd end up looking like a prat anyway as he doesn't know a single person in there. No, sitting at the bar is considerably better. 

He's at least half-way through his second point, could be his third though, he's not sure, when he feels someone bump into him. He looks up, trying not to stare too much because the man that it still very much pressed against his side has got the most gorgeous eyes he's ever seen. He opens his mouth to try and speak, but all that comes out is an _'uh'_. The other man lets out a bit of a laugh and offers an apology in an exotic accent. Stevie's interest is definitely piqued, and he shifts in his seat after taking another sip of his drink. “Where are you from?” The man lets out another little laugh and glances at him before replying. “I'm not sure you would know it. Is a small place.” Stevie's feeling bold – he doesn't know anyone here after all, so no one will be able to take the piss out of him later – and shifts a bit closer to the man, nearly on the edge of his seat now. “Try me.” Another glance, another laugh. The man grabs his drink from the bartender and turns to look fully at him for the first time. “I'm serious, you know. Is a small place. Is in the North of Spain. You know that area well or no?” He's teasing him already. Stevie smiles and shakes his head. No, he doesn't know the area. He'd like to think he's well travelled but he's hard pressed to find his way from his flat in Southport to the beach some days. And that's only round the corner. 

To his utter surprise, the gorgeous man from the bar ends up spending the rest of the night with him. His name is Xabi, and Stevie spends all night trying to pronounce it correctly. He thinks he's got it right in the end because Xabi's smiling softer at him. So London might not be all that, but at the moment it's showing him its best side. He learns that other than gorgeous, Xabi is Spanish and the name of his city is Donostia ( _'if you can't say it, you can just say San Sebastián, is the same thing'_ ). He speaks about 50 languages ( _'Basque, Spanish, English and a bit of German too, but not too much'_ ) and is incredibly intelligent. Stevie feels thick in comparison, but the looks that he keeps getting from Xabi ensures him that he's still allowed in his company. He's so grateful that he gets up to get them another round, though he's sure it's not his turn. 

They end up talking about football. It turns out that it dominates both of their lives, but in different ways. He gets an understanding of how difficult it is to support your team from afar. He'd like to think Xabi grasps the meaning of You'll Never Walk Alone. He nods as he listens to Xabi telling him about how Real only finished 15th last season, after being 2nd the previous year. He definitely understands the heartache. At least he's got the Champions League qualifications to look forward to this summer, even if they might end up losing their most prolific goal scorer. 

He tells Xabi about his awful day. How he had driven down from Liverpool that morning for a job interview. About how he'd not realised how long the drive actually was, and about the flat tyre he'd got outside Watford. In the rain. How he'd had to wait ages for AA to come out and help him and how embarrassed he'd felt about not being able to change his own bloody tyre. Xabi doesn't laugh at him once, instead he offers words of sympathy and gentle touches to his knee, thigh, shoulder and neck. He tells him about how he's blown the interview, and about the long drive back home without a job offer. Xabi offers his sofa for the night, and he isn't about to turn that down. 

\--- 

Xabi doesn't live very far away, as it turns out. The moment that they round the corner it seems as if they have left London behind. The noises from the people and the traffic fade away and for a moment it's just the two of them. Their hands brush together and Stevie feels like there's an electric current running through him. Xabi squeezes the back of his neck as they head into the flat and Stevie lets out a quiet _'fuck'_ , and tries to disguise it as a cough. He happily takes the sofa when it's offered to him, not wanting to push his luck and ask to share Xabi's bed though that's all he wants. 

The sound of his ringing phone startles him awake the next morning. He gropes around for it, unsure where he is but thinks that's less important right now. “Yeah, I'm me. That's me.” He tries to rub some sleep out of his eyes as he listens intently to the man on the other line of the phone. Once the call ends, he rests back against the pillows with a smile on his face. “Well, fuck me.” “Maybe later”, the familiar voice from last night says and he can hear the laughter in his voice. He shifts to sit up and makes a face at him. “You're not funny.” He feels his hair being ruffled at that and he turns his head to see Xabi disappear into the kitchen. He pushes off the sofa and follows him, accepting the cup of coffee when it's handed to him. “I got the job.” “For the interview you shagged off yesterday?” He laughs and nudges Xabi with a smile. “Fucked up. Not shagged off.” 

\--- 

His move down to London is quick, and he moans about the whole process to his brother and Carra and anyone else who might listen. Very few words are shared with Danny. He dreads the drive back down because it's so excruciatingly long, but he finds that thinking about Xabi helps with both the boredom and in boosting his mood. There has been no problem fidning a place to live – he hadn't been very picky with the area, and the fella he is going to be living with is a friend of Carra's so he's got to be a good guy. 

Continuously sharing a living space with an Australian proves infuriating as they both struggle with each other's accents. Though Carra has referred to him as his 'mate', Stevie is sure within five minutes that they've communicated via e-mail only. And most likely only about work related things. Harry is from Sydney and has a tattoo on his hand. Stevie isn't sure that he's not part of a gang, though the other man keeps trying to assure him that he's not. He can't pronounce the word 'water', and Stevie teases him for it every single day. 

The first piece he writes for his new boss is about the departure of Michael Owen from Liverpool. His heart breaks for every word that he knocks out on his keypad. Mourinho seems to like it though, and that is all he needs right now. Still, it is a difficult task to write about your childhood friend leaving your boyhood club. The club that they had both been training at since the age of about eight. Of course, Stevie had been hampered by injuries soon after making his first team debut, but Michael had gone all the way, and he's always admired him for his determination and success. He had been jealous for a long time, wishing his life had panned out the same way, but he had managed to get over himself in the end. Carra was the first person to notice the change in him, and had come up to give his shoulder a squeeze. “About time, kid.” He guessed it was. He had just wanted it so very much. But he'd moved on, gone to university to do his degree in journalism and started his career with The Liverpool Daily Post. Carra worked for the Echo at the time so they were in the same building, and spent many lunch hours debating football. Lunch time in London was an entirely different affair. Lonelier, for starters. And down here, no one (as far as he knows) cares about the Merseyside derby. He isn't sure they could even name two players from each team. It doesn't take long before he gets homesick. 

\--- 

A cup of tea is blocking his previously perfect view of the telly, and he lets out a groan as he has to shift his position, then realises that the cuppa is probably for him and reaches out to grab it. To Stevie's annoyance, Harry ruffles his hair as he sits down next to him, and he obviously isn't sorry about the state he leaves it in as he even lets out a laugh. Stevie nudges him and takes a sip of his tea. “Thanks.” “No worries, mate.” Always so casual and laid back. Typically Australian. “You alright? You've looked a bit down lately.” Stevie sighs at that, knowing he's being silly, but he's never really been away from home for this long before. So they sit and talk for a while, and Stevie gets how stupid he is because Harry doesn't even have any family in this country – they're all on the other side of the world. Stevie can nip up and see his family whenever he wants. That relaxes him a bit, and he is glad that he's found someone that he can talk to. Maybe London isn't so bad after all. 

\--- 

As soon as he moves down full time, he starts taking Xabi out on dates. To be honest, most of the times it's Xabi taking him out because he knows absolutely no good places in London. Turns out that Xabi, on the other hand, knows all of them. The conversation flows easily and comfortably. It's almost as if they've known each other a lifetime already. They talk about work and life, football, London, football, their mates, football, their home countries, football, cultural differences, football, football in London and football in general. Xabi even tries to teach him some Spanish but Stevie struggles with it so Xabi takes pity on him and lets it go with a laugh.


	2. 2005

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Danny is still Danny Murphy.   
> Miki is Mikel Arteta.

2005 – 

The season's already gone to shit (as usual), but they're still in the Champions League and he's dragged Xabi up home with him to go to the game, all the while babbling away about Juventus not even having a decent side. He ignores everything Xabi has to say about Buffon, Cannavaro, Ibrahimovic ( _'he's shite, him'_ ), Nedved and Trezeguet. ( _'Yeah, but all of that is irrelevant because we've got Luis Garcia and you know he's gonna sneak a goal. You just know it, Xab.'_ ) He feels like an overexcited five year old, and he's sure that's what Xabi sees as well. 

They meet up with Gratty and Bavo for a few pints before the game. He's pleased that Xabi's getting on with them. Though he always knew he would. Xabi is the type of person that gets on with everyone, but he is glad for the confirmation nonetheless. And he is relieved that both Gratty and Bavo seem impressed with his choice of partner. Gratty ends up getting an elbow to his rib as he starts quizzing Xabi on Stevie's football background though, which actually shuts him up. First time for everything. “He doesn't need to hear it. He used to play a bit himself as well.” Besides, it's supposed to be an exciting evening, not one where they both end up depressed as they overthink their youth team injuries. Stevie lets his mind wander a bit though, remembers what it was like to step onto the hallowed turf at Anfield against Sheffield Wednesday. Fucking great night, that. He didn't have a lot more after it, though. 

Anfield is loud and roaring. At the final whistle, the whole stadium erupts. They've just beaten Juve 2 – 1 and now have half a leg in the semi-final. He doesn't get a wink of sleep that night, and not just because he and Xabi are going at it. On the train the next morning, he falls asleep with his head on Xabi's shoulder and doesn't wake up until they get back to Euston. 

Xabi teases him about his accent for days after, and is determined that it was a lot stronger when they were in Liverpool than it ever has been in London. Stevie has no idea what he's talking about, but every time he asks his boyfriend a question that week, the reply is “sound”. He has to keep explaining that you can't use it for everything, but Xabi isn't listening. He just smiles at him and gives him another cheeky _'that's sound, mate'_. And all Stevie can do is smile because with his Spanish accent, it sounds absolutely boss. 

\--- 

By the time they get to go to Spain, summer has rolled around and Stevie is basking in what can only be described as a Champions League dreamworld. The last time Liverpool won it, he was four years old. He can't exactly say that he remembers the feeling well. But this – this is fucking amazing. So when they board the plane to Bilbao he's in a great mood, even if they are travelling with Xabi's awful roommate ( _'he's my best friend, you have to give him a chance'_ ). And he does try. And lord knows he's not exactly a ray of sunshine himself, but this fella is positively miserable. He has accepted a long time ago that he's never going to be friends with Miki, but he does try for Xabi's sake. Because he's mad about him. 

He ends up falling asleep on the flight, though it's only two hours, and has to be roused by Xabi when they land. He gives him an apologetic smile and he's pretty sure he's forgiven as he gets a kiss before they disembark. He keeps close to the other two as they've been here before and obviously know where they're going. He gives the lady at the passport control a smile and heads through after Xabi, listening to him chatter with Miki in Spanish. At least he thinks it's Spanish, he's not sure anymore. “We need tickets”, Xabi says as he turns to him and he nods, not sure what for as they've only just landed. “For the bus”, he continues and Stevie gives another nod of his head. “Alright, yeah.” Xabi and Miki sort the tickets while he stands around curiously looking at the small airport, showing off the new Liverpool kit that Xabi got him after the final. He suspects he'll wear it every day until he dies. So far it's a great summer. 

They board the bus ( _'babe, this is a coach – not a bus'_ ) and take their seats toward the back. He's pleased that he gets the window. The other two keep chatting away. Honestly, it's as if they haven't seen each other for two months – you wouldn't think they lived together. His eyelids start getting heavy after a while and he drops off again, waking with a jolt about half an hour later and rubs his eyes before turning to Xabi. “How long is this ride?” Xabi glances at his watch and gives a shrug of his shoulders “Is another hour for sure, maybe more. I don't know which way he's going.”. Very reassuring. Xabi notices and shifts towards him more, stroking his hair. “I told you we had to fly into the next city, no? Is not a big place, we can't fly there directly.” “Fair enough”, he offers and shifts to lean more against Xabi as they drive on. Xabi looks out the window with him, no doubt enjoying the sight of the mountains and the trees. He tells him it will be different in Donostia, still mountains but also beaches. And honestly, he'd love to go to the beach right now. 

He's not disappointed when they eventually get there. Beaches are definitely a predominant feature. In fact, there's three of them. He hadn't expected that, and honestly the place is really nice. He can't imagine why Xabi left this behind to go live in London. “I'd love to live at the beach”, he says (and he kind of did when he lived in Southport), but Xabi counters that it gets boring after a while. “And there are better job opportunities in London.” Ever pragmatic. 

They spend their time at the beach (a different one each day at first, but Stevie's decided that he prefers the Kontxa so they keep going back there), at the pubs and bars. They're alone and they're with Xabi's family and with Miki too. They cross out to Isla de Santa Clara and climb Monte Igueldo, and along with Xabi's older brother (also Mikel), they visit Anoeta – the home ground of Real Sociedad. Stevie doesn't think it's much to look at, but doesn't dare say as much. They both ensure him that it's a lot nicer inside, and promise to take him to a game the next time he's there. He likes that plan, thinks that could be interesting to write about. They try surfing, but it turns out that he's not very good at it. He's not surprised, and he doesn't mind Xabi laughing at him as he falls off time and time again. He makes up for it later, when they're alone. Xabi's parents both seem to approve of him, as does his brothers. He's relieved – he's not really had a fella before (it was different with Danny), so isn't sure of the rules. He's pretty sure approval from the parents is one of the steps though. So far so good. It turns out that body language is also a language. Xabi's brothers both speak English quite well, but his parents are a different story. Still. He comes away feeling like he's been accepted. 

On the flight back home it's just him and Xabi, as Miki opted to stay a bit longer with his family. He's relaxed, having really enjoyed himself in the sun and he tells Xabi as much. “I'm glad you liked it. I'd love to live there again some day, but it's far in the future.”


	3. 2006

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Harry is Harry Kewell.   
> Mikel is Mikel Arteta.   
> Ginger is John Arne Riise.

2006 – 

The first half of the new year is a non-starter. Nothing good comes from the football until a few weeks before his birthday, when Liverpool win the FA Cup. It ends in penalties though, so even that is a painful event to sit through. He can't get that Paul Konchesky goal out of his head all summer. Only briefly does it slip his mind when Mourinho calls to announce that he's been promoted to editor. More hours to spend at the office is weighed up by the prospect of more money. It's perfectly timed as well, because he's not already stressed out by the fact that he's moving in with Xabi. They have found a flat to rent in the South of the city, and thanks to Stevie's new status at work, they can go to a game at a different stadium every week. ( _'I fucking love free tickets, me.'_ ) Stevie starts learning Spanish, but finds that it's a slow and sometimes painful process. 

On his birthday, he learns that he's heading out to Germay to cover the World Cup. He's still in shock as he goes home to tell Xabi, and they celebrate with getting the biggest take away they can manage. The thing is, he's always been a bit of a homebody and he tends to get homesick a lot, so spending a month away from the love of his life just seems cruel. The days do drag on in Germany, but he gets to do a lot of new stuff and it's all very exciting, especially the behind-the-scenes part of the game. He's experienced some of it as a kid, sure, but it's all changed since the 90's. The players don't drink as much, for one. And they're all media trained, even the 16 year olds – all afraid to say the wrong thing or step on someone's toes. Carra texts him most every day to check if he's gotten that interview with Nuno Valente yet. He hasn't. He does end up running in to him at one of the after events though, and blags a cheeky photo that he sends to his mate. Carra won't shut up about it for weeks. He seems lees excited, but still enthusiastic (because hes's mad about football), at the interviews that Stevie does get. Wesley Sneijder, Didier Drogba, Alessandro Nesta, Thierry Henry, Freddie Ljungberg, Lukas Podolski... Carra happily listens to all of his stories and doesn't interrupt him once. Xabi only cares to listen to how he ran into David Villa (and managed not to shout _'illa illa illa, Villa maravilla'_ in his face). It definitely is a busy summer. 

He meets up with Harry for a few beers once he's back in London, and of course they end up spending the night talking about football. Not too surprising, since they both write about it for a living. Harry listens intently to his stories from Germany and laughs in all the right places, which does wonders to boost Stevie's ego. They talk about Carra and Xabi too, and share some office gossip before heading their separate ways, both promising that they need to meet up more often. 

\--- 

Since Stevie has spent the majority of the summer on the Continent, they don't get a chance to have a housewarming party until mid-August. It's well worth the wait though – everyone they know turns up. Even Carra comes down from Liverpool for it, claiming that Stevie's been dodging his calls since the World Cup. Stevie protests because it's an outright lie, and shoves a beer into Carra's hand to shut him up. Ginger shows up too, and the three of them end up talking about the good old days until Xabi comes to pull him away for an impromptu make out session in the hallway. He slips a hand under Xabi's shirt and rubs his abs, looking across the room to make sure everyone else is having fun and that no one is paying any particular attention to them. He ends up dragging his nails across Xabi's skin by mistake and Xabi practically hisses as he looks up from kissing his neck. “Que pasa?” Stevie nods his head towards the living room, where Mikel is in a similar position to them, but with one of Harry's mates from Australia. He was hastily introduced to him before, but can't remember his name now. Xabi smirks at the sight and shifts to bite down on Stevie's earlobe. “Good for him.”


	4. 2008

2008 – 

England don't even qualify for the Euros, so he's asked to cover Spain instead. _'You speak Spanish now, don't you? It will be good practice.'_ When he gets home, he begs Xabi for a crash course in good interview questions. _'Don't wanna look like a prick, you know.'_

Upon arrival in Austria, he learns that he's in the same hotel as the team. His boyfriend practically whimpers when he tells him later, on the phone, and begs for permission to come down and see him. He knows Stevie would love noting more, but accepts the fact that he is actually there to work and not to mingle with the footballers. He does give him daily updates on who he runs into in the hallways and who he spots at breakfast, and of course a breakdown of pre- and post-match interviews. He actually gets a full on interview with Villa this time, and he's pretty sure that Xabi will have a heart attack when he finds out. He ends up talking to most of the squad at one point or another, enjoying some banter with Fabregas, who's English is good enough that he doesn't have to use his awkward Spanish as a form of communication. Fabregas sorts him out with some unscheduled interviews with Torres and Ramos as well – and he really can't thank him enough. He was starting to running a bit low on material. The tournament itself is a frenzy. Breakfast, interview, pre-match interview, dinner, game, post-match interview, tea, analysis, beer, bed. The excitement builds the longer the team stays in, and by the time the semi-final against Russia rolls around, the atmosphere is pratically electric. Stevie is swept away by it all, loves every minute of it. Fabregas sneaks him into the party after the final – says he's been as much of a part of it as anyone else. Stevie doesn't agree, but isn't about to protest it at all. He gets a photo with Casillas that he sends to Xabi, and the rest of the night is a blur. The next morning, he wakes up with the biggest headache he's ever known. 

When he comes back from he Euros, he's buzzing. He's felt like there's an electric current running through him since before the tournament even started. Since he started carrying that engagement ring around, really. He knows the time has come, and he feels both excited and nervous about the prospect. They go for a fancy meal, and he thinks Xabi suspects something is up because he's questioning the choice of restaurant as well as the prices on the menu. Stevie waves it off, tells him he got a bonus from work and that it's all taken care of. He doesn't like any of those cheesy things like hiding the ring in a champagne flute or in the dessert. He'd feel silly doing any of that, so in the end he just slides the box across the table and gives Xabi his most hopeful look. “Will you marry me?” Xabi nods at him from across the table, grinning from ear to ear as he slides the ring onto his finger. Stevie lets out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and leans across the table for a kiss. He can't believe his lucky, really.


	5. 2009

2009 – 

Xabi starts growing a beard. Stevie doesn't think much of it at first, he knows that they both go through periods of not shaving, but it doesn't usually last longer than about four days. After week two he's starting to wonder if Xabi's forgotten what a razor looks like, but isn't sure how to bring it up without sounding like a prick. So he waits a bit longer, and Xabi still doesn't shave. “Doesn't it itch?”, he asks after another few weeks, causing Xabi to raise his eyebrows as he looks at him. “Which, carniño?” Stevie shrugs his shoulders in reply and touches a hand to his chin as he murmurs something about 'the bloody beard'. He can hear Xabi chuckle as he moves closer to him, feels the fingers under his chin tipping his head up and he can't help but smiles as he looks up at Xabi. “What?”, he asks, but the Spaniard doesn't give him an answer. Instead, he rubs their cheeks together and okay, that's a point well made. And Xabi knows it, because Stevie lets out a soft sigh at the feel. He realises that he doesn't actually have a problem with it. 

\--- 

“They offered me a job in Madrid”, Xabi blurts. Stevie hasn't even made it home, he's just got out of the tube station when his phone starts ringing. There's a lot of people around him and he's not sure he's heard him right. “A what, love?” He has to press a finger to his other ear to ensure that he can hear him properly, turning the corner to head towards the flat. “They offered me the job. In Madrid. I said I would take it.” Oh. He looks up at the people around him, expecting them to tell him how ludicrous it is, but of course no one has heard it except for himself. “I'll be home in five.” 

It's a big, explosive, talk when he gets home. It's the classic _'you can't just accept something without discussing it with me'_ followed by _'it's the perfect time – your Spanish is really good, you can easily get a job doing your writing as well'_ and the killer blow _'it will be closer to my family'_. He can't deny him that, can he? They've been living semi-close to Stevie's family for years. If Xabi wants to move to Spain, he really should give him that, surely. It won't be forever. It's just an adventure. And Xabi's right – he does end up getting a job dead easy. And suddenly they're in Madrid. Just like that. 

Life in Madrid is great. It's a different lifestyle to London for sure, but Stevie easily slips into their new routines. It's a lot of socialising, vino and late night dinners. And it turns out they've got football in Spain as well. Who knew? Xabi drags him to every game that Real Sociedad plays in the capital, and Stevie willingly goes with him. They wear their kits like good fans, and chant along with the rest of the crowd – Xabi more than Stevie, but he enjoys it as much as his boyfriend nonetheless. Stevie gets tickets for the Clasico as well, so they go to that too, and he's definitely enjoying the atmosphere. It's almost like a Merseyside derby. Almost.


	6. 2010

2010 – 

Early in the new decade, he does an in depth interview with Wayne Rooney. They quickly bond as they realise that they're both from Liverpool and have grown up around the same culture. Different team allegiances though, but there's not much to be done about that. Rooney contacts him once the piece has been publised to let him know that his friends and family all loved it, and that he was impressed with it too. He's grinning from ear to ear as he goes home that day. 

Before the World Cup, he gets a chance to have a chat with Fernando Torres. He's obviously loving it, and tries not to show the other man how much he loves and admires him as he conducts the interview. He doesn't want to come across as a twat in front of one of his favourite players, after all. They chat about all things Liverpool before moving on to Spain, the national team and he even gets a restaurant tip for a secluded tapas place in Madrid. He gratefully takes the name down, fully intending on taking Xabi when he next gets a chance. 

He's pleased when Torres instantly recognises him in South Africa, though less so when his hero makes fun of his Spanish accent. His _'I'm really trying, you know'_ is met with a _'maybe you should try harder – no one is going to believe that you are a real Madridista with that accent'_. He makes a face at that, but knows that Torres is right. So the next time he tries a bit harder, and smiles when Torres nods in approval. He could definitely become a real Madridista. But does he want to be one? Not the right time to pick at that thread... 

He gets an interview with a Uruguayan kid after the round of 16. His name is Luis Suarez and he plays for Ajax. Stevie doesn't have a lot of background information on him, and has to do the interview in Spanish as the kid doesn't feel very comfortable using English, he's told. He doesn't mind, but has some difficulties understanding a few of the things he says and ends up having to call Xabi up for clarification, He ends up spending all night pouring over his dictionary to try and get something together that his boss will approve of. He does get there in the end – just. 

There are further interviews with a few of the lads from the England camp – Aaron Lennon, Frank Lampard and Jermaine Defoe. He gets a word in with Robben and Robinho, Klose and Forlan before it is time for the big final. Xabi flies out just for the experience. That and _'I'm not letting you party with team again without me'_. As if he'd get that lucky twice. It just so happens that he ends up running into Torres after the final whistle, after the trophy ceremony. He's trying to find Xabi but struggles, and ends up chatting away with Torres instead. He asks if there's a party planned, and of course there is. He manages to track down his boyfriend, and brings him with him to the party. As he spots Fabregas, he raises a hand in greeting, and Cesc quickly heads over to them with more drinks. “Are you flying back to Spain with us tomorrow?”, he shouts over the music. Stevie shakes his head, because no, they're not. They're booked on a different flight. Fabregas doesn't look too happy about that, and Stevie isn't sure what he's done to endear himself to the other man, but even Xabi agrees that the younger Spaniard seems to like him. About an hour later, Fabregas approaches him again, giving him flight details and names of people to speak to tomorrow at the airport. “We all want you on that flight”, he says, gesturing to the rest of the team that are spread out at the club. Stevie nods as he puts the details in his phone, knowing that's the only way he'll ever be able to remember. He figures it's worth a shot showing up at the airport just in case they will be allowed. You never know. 

It's like a dream. Everything is just a dream. When he wakes up, he is hungover, sure. They both are. Xabi whines and hides his head under the duvet for a good half an hour before he remembers about their possible new flight deal. They both rush to pack their bags together and splurge on a taxi out to the airport. To both their surprise and astonishment, they are let onto the flight without any questions. They are still gaping at each other as they board along with the bloody Spanish national team. It's a 15 hour dream ride. Stevie is usually anxious, all in his own head and thinking way too much about plane crashes and Xabi, but Xabi's right there with him this time. And he gets some work done. He gets some last minute interviews done, indulges in some informal conversations with some of the players, introduces them to Xabi, laughs along at the jokes and just enjoys himself. He's glad Xabi's here to enjoy it with him. And that he never has to hear a vuvuzela again in his whole entire life. 

They land in Madrid to utter madness. It's loud, energetic, electric and warm. They're dragged along to the celebrations as well, though dragged isn't really the word as they're both very much enjoying it. He keeps a hold of Xabi's hand throughout, keeps squeezing it to reassure himself (both of them, really) that it's not a dream and that they're actually there, enjoying this together. With the bloody national team. Stevie knows that he'll wake up to another hangover tomorrow, but still cracks open another beer when it's offered to him by David Villa. And this time he does shout _'illa illa illa, Villa maravilla'_ in his face, and the other man just laughs, proving that he isn't as violent as he looks. 

\--- 

They get married in a small ceremony in San Sebastian. Xabi has planned most of it with the help of his mother. Stevie has had some input, but is mainly happy to go with what Xabi wants. Stevie's parents and brother fly over from the UK along with some of his mates, and he picks them up at the airport in Bilbao, having warned them that it is a two hour ride from there, but still there's moans of _how long will it take_ and _when will they get there_. He spends the two days before the wedding taking them around the city, and goes on the lash with the boys. Xabi's out drinking with his mates and his brothers, and they meet up at the beach for a kiss before going their separate ways before the big day. 

Wedding done, they head for their honeymoon in Greece. 10 days of sunshine, bevvies and Xabi. He could have it so much worse.


	7. 2012

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guillem is Guillem Balague.

2012 – 

On the night before he leaves for Poland, they end up having a massive row. It's a nothing row, really, but they're shouting pretty loudly and Xabi keeps switching from Spanish to English, so Stevie knows that he's pretty worked up. He tries to calm him down, but Xabi isn't having any of it, and he ends up spending the night on the sofa. There's not much sleep to be had, and when he leaves in the morning, Xabi doesn't come down to kiss him goodbye like he normally would. It stings, but he doesn't think it would do him any good waking Xabi up at this hour, so he leaves without a goodbye. He makes sure to leave a note of apology behind though, and he fills the coffee machine for him before heading out the door. 

Poland is hot, sweaty and sticky and he moans about it to Guillem at least every other day that they're out there. Interviews follow with what has now become the usual lot – Fabregas is first up ( _'been a while, nice to see you', 'you're playing well, great to see', 'hope you didn't miss me too much since the last time we saw each other'_ ) followed by Casillas, Walcott, Silva, Ronaldo, Cazorla, Fabregas again ( _'another goal for you eh,? you're on bloody fire'_ ), Ramos, Ibrahimovic, Hart, Klose, Pique, Valdes, Fabregas ( _'again, mate? you going for the golden boot here?'_ ), Mata, Özil, Balotelli, Torres, Navas, Fabregas ( _'you're not stalking me, are you?'_ )... Another day, another dozen new faces. He usually loves it, but this time he's just feeling stressed about it, hates that Xabi isn't texting him back with the usual enthuasiasm and a lot of the time that's all that he can think about. He tries not to let his mind wander during the interviews, knows he's there to do his job, but finds it quite difficult to focus a lot of the time. In the end, they end up having to stay until the very last kick of the tournament, as Spain are crowned winners again. The confetti cannon's going off and absolutely everyone is cheering and shouting around him. He's trying to take as many photos as he can in order to remember the moment, though he nearly drops his phone as it starts buzzing in his hand. _'Fucking hell'_ , he mutters as he answers, pressing the index finger of his free hand against his other ear, struggling to hear anything. “Hello?!” He has to try a few times and turns away from the pitch, walking closer towars the tunnel to hear better. “Babe, what's wrong?”, he asks as he hears how agitated Xabi sounds on the other end, and he knows at once that it's no longer about the fight. “She lost the baby.” Stevie freezes on the spot at that and swallows thickly, knowing exactly who he means by 'she', and the implications it has for the two of them. “I'm flying home tomorrow.”


	8. 2014

2014 – 

If Poland and Ukraine didn't excite him, Brazil definitely doesn't. Before he even gets to the airport, he knows he doesn't want to be there. He wants to be at home, watching telly on the sofa with Xabi. He hasn't voiced these wants though, knows Xabi would have called him silly and told him to get on that flight. He waffles through his interviews with Neymar and van Persie. He knows he does and it's confirmed when his boss calls him the next day to ask what the fuck he thinks he's writing. Stevie doesn't know, to be honest, but he promises to do better. He puts some more energy into Okazaki and Giroud, but only just. He speaks to Messi with a bit of enthusiasm and manages the same level for James Rodriguez as well, though he's not sure how because all he thinks about when he speaks to the young Colombian is how much he'd fancy a take away with Xabi right then. Spain is knocked out after the group stages, surprisingly, and he's on a plane back to Madrid soon after. There's no party on the plane this time, just a sombre mood. And that goes for the squad as well as for Stevie himself. He bites at his nails though he's promised Xabi several times over that he's stopped, and breathes a sigh of relief as they finally hit the tarmac. In that moment, and only in that moment, he is glad that he's not actually one of the players. He thinks he'd be mortified getting off the plane and having his photo taken by a million flashing lightbulbs and then having about the same amount of microphones shoved in his face from every angle. He's relieved that he doesn't have to deal with any of that, but that he can just get in a taxi and head straight home to his husband. He's waited weeks for this cuddle, and he enjoys every second of it. 

He hands his notice in a few days later, knows he can't continue writing about something that he's not passionate about. His boss doesn't even look fazed when he passes it over, and he thinks he really shouldn't be surprised. He's handed in some stinkers lately. Xabi doesn't even shout at him when he gets home, knows that he's been miserable at work for the past few months. He puts his CV online, because according to Carra that's how it's done these days, and applies to a few random jobs he finds. He takes a few phone interviews and honestly, he's been in the industry so long that everyone knows his name by now, and it doesn't take long before he has offers practically thrown at him. “What's Rangers?”, Xabi asks, clearly having been reading Stevie's e-mails over his shoulder. He turns to look at him with a shrug of his shoulders. “It's a football club in Scotland. They want me to be editor-in-chief for their club magazine. What do you think?” Xabi shifts behind him, leaning closer to read the full job description, nodding his head in approval. “I don't mind moving to Scotland.” 

So they move to Scotland.

\--- 

They've only rented before, but now that they've actually saved up a decent amount of money, they decide that it's time to buy a house. He asks around at the office for good areas to live in, and most people seem to agree that Scotstoun is the place to be, especially if they're looking to expand their family. They look at a few houses in the area and both agree that it's good. It's close to the river too, which both of them approve of. It's less than a 15 minute train ride to Glasgow Central, and the Ibrox is even closer – 10 minutes by car. It doesn't take them long to find a nice property that even has a bit of a garden, and their bid goes through without a hitch. Stevie never thought it would have been that easy.


	9. 2015

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Duncan is Duncan Ferguson.   
> Robbo is Andy Robertson.

2015 – 

He's not in charge of the hiring and firing, he doesn't think he could take it. Of course, he has some say in it as he is the editor-in-chief, but mostly he lets Duncan take care of it. The burly Scotsman has been at the place at longer than he has himself, so he trusts his judgement. 

So when he comes back from lunch one day and sees a new face, he isn't surprised – they've talked about bringing a younger demographic in, and the best way to do that, they have agreed, is to bring in a young writer. He heads over to the young, lanky fellow to shake his hand and introduce himself. The guy might look shy, but Stevie quickly determines that he isn't. After a few weeks, there is no shutting him up. He does struggle with some of the lad's writing though, and has to bring him into his office a fair few times before he seems to get the hint. “Robbo – you do know that this is a Rangers magazine, right? Like for Rangers fans about Rangers?” The kid looks up at him and nods his head, clearly not seeing any issues. “Aye, boss.” “Right, so... you know you can't call Rangers fans _'dirty orange bastards'_ , right?” Robbo calmly meets his gaze and shrugs his shoulders in an _'and what of it?'_ kind of way. “But they are.”


	10. 2016

2016 – 

He takes Robbo with him to France for the Euros. The kid is young but has come a long way in his writing since he was hired, and Stevie figures it will encourage him to continue down the same path. As it goes, there are no Rangers players at the Euros. Barely any Scottish based players at all, actually, but they're here to cover England so it doesn't really matter. Of course, Robbo isn't loving the idea of writing about English players, but Stevie assures him that it will make him a better writer and that it will benefit him from writing about all sorts of things, not just things that he likes. 

They end up mostly chatting to the younger lads in the squad – Sterling, Kane, Stones, Dier, Barkley, Wilshere, Alli, Rashford – and he lets Robbo take the lead on most of them, figures he needs to learn somehow. He takes care of the interviews with the Liverpool players himself – Henderson, Lallana and Sturridge – and makes sure that Robbo is paying attention to the questions that he asks and the way he asks them, trying to teach him a good technique for one-on-one interviews. He gets a chance to do some phone interviews with the Spanish lads as well, mainly Fabregas and Casillas, but he knows there's no point in involving Robbo in them as he won't understand anything that's being said. England and Spain both get knocked out in the round of 16, so they don't get to stick around for the final this time. He still thinks it's a good lesson for Robbo though, and the lad is buzzing even as they head for the airport to go back to Glagow. Stevie's in a foul mood himself as they head home, as he knows he has to go straight to the hospital. He's not about to tell Robbo that, of course. 

When he gets to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Xabi is already there. Of course he is, Stevie knew that as he's been texting him all day. He heads straight for him, anxious for any news, but Xabi just shakes his head sadly at him as he spots him and Stevie can feel his heart breaking – definitely not good news. “She lost it?” Xabi nods at him and he shifts to wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace. He's not sure how many times they can go through this.


	11. 2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Robbo is Andy Robertson.

2018 – 

Russia. Robbo's with him again – still young at 24, but more mature in his writing these days. He likes to think that the last tournament helped him develop. Bruno Alves is called up for Portugal, but again they're covering England so they can't do a face-to-face interview. Robbo thinks on his feet though and sets up a video call for a chat for the Rangers magazine. Stevie's impressed and takes the lad out for a few beers to let him know. 

England do well enough in their group, beating Tunisia and Panama. Though they end up losing to Belgium, they still go through to the knockout stage. Robbo claims it's a fix, and Stevie clips him over the head. Their summer in Russia seems to continue for another while. He speaks to Carra after the game against Colombia, who lets him know that the atmosphere in England is absolutely buzzing, and he is sure he can hear _Three Lions_ playing the background of the Bootle pub. 

They take turns doing the interviews this time, and he's sure that Robbo's enjoying it more than he did two years ago. He introduces him to everyone he knows – and Robbo seems impressed with his connections. Stevie thinks he should be impressed, he's worked very hard for them. They have a bit of a laugh with Henderson and Alexander-Arnold after the game against Sweden, but are forced to get more serious after the semi-final loss against Croatia. He's not sure there is a player on the England squad that they haven't talked to. One more game to go – third place play-off against Belgium. They end up losing it and come fourth, but Stevie thinks it's been a brilliant tournament. The spirit has been high throughout – both in Russia and at home. He takes phone interviews with De Gea, Pique, Azpilicueta, Silva and a young goalkeeper called Arrizabalaga in between the England games. Robbo scrunches his face up as he walks in on him while on the phone to Silva and he laughs and flips him off. “Lo siento. Mi amigo es un poco loco.”


	12. 2019

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Macca is Steve McManaman.   
> Gary is Gary Lineker.

2019 – 

One phone call changes everything. 

He takes the train down to Liverpool on his own. Xabi knows about it, of course, but Stevie doesn't seen much point in bringing him along. The interview goes well. At least he thinks it does, and as soon as he steps out of the building he gets a phone call from the office he just left. “Hi, mate”, he answers as the name flashes on the screen. “Hey. Listen, they really liked you. Not sure why, to be honest, but Macca's asked if you can come up to sign the contract right away.” He laughs at that, thinking Carra's losing his mind. “You serious?” “Dead serious, Ste.” He can't hear laughter in his friend's voice, and he knows he's not that good of an actor, so he decides to go with it. “I need to call Xabi.” 

He doesn't head straight back to his brother's house afterwards, knows he wouldn't get any privacy there. He takes a taxi out to the ground, knowing it's changed a lot since he was last there, but isn't quite prepared to see the new open spaces with his own eyes. He thinks it looks nice though, the change, and heads to sit down on one of the new benches outside the new Main Stand. He calls Xabi up, biting his nails as usual, glad his husband isn't there to see him and chide him for it. “They've offered me the job”, he says as he hears Xabi pick up on the other end. Macca had called after Carra, while he was in the taxi, to give him the exact same information he had just got from his mate. Of course, he didn't say that. He's not a grass, after all. “It's the same as now, editor-in-chief, but a bigger circulation, lots more potential and obviously more of chance to work with the Liverpool squad--” Xabi cuts him off with a laugh and Stevie takes a deep breath, knows he was getting carried away. “You should take it.” 

So he takes the job. Goes straight back to the office to sign the papers, then heads to his brother's for tea, playtime with his nephews and sleep. The next morning, he goes back up to Glasgow to hand his notice in. As soon as word's out, he doesn't see Robbo for the rest of the week. 

\--- 

“So you know we used to based in Spain, right?” Stevie is about to reply that yes, yes he does know that, but Macca cuts him off before he has a chance. “Of course you do”, Macca continues and Stevie just nods at him, gives him a smile to indicate that it's okay to keep talking. He listens as Macca tells him about how he and Gary started the magazine in Madrid – just the two of them. It's an impressive story – two fellas starting their own business without knowing whether or not it will succeed, and ending up becoming one of the world's most read football magazines. He likes the story so he doesn't interrupt Macca as he continues. Gary moved to Barcelona to start a second branch after a few years of success, ensuring that they had first dibs on interviews with players from all of the Madrid teams as well as the big players in Barcelona. Stevie thinks it's a genius business model, and knows that's why they operate out of Liverpool now. Aside from the fact that Macca is from Liverpool and wanted to live closer to home, there is an added bonus of two Premier League teams in the city, an additional two less than an hours drive away, and a ton more down in London, which is only two hours away by train. Fucking brilliant, really. 

He ends up in a big office next to Macca's. It's not something that he's really had before, his own office, and though it's nice to have some peace and quiet while he's writing, it also feels ridiculous. And Carra reminds him of this fact every time he comes over, making a big show of knocking on the door and not entering before he's been told that it's okay to do so. _'Well, they tell me that you're my boss now, so I can't really just barge in.'_ A load of crap, since they've known each other since Stevie was about 16 and they shared a changing room on a daily basis. Barging in to his office would be nothing. 

Spanish seems to be free flowing throughout the office, which he was never expecting but is a nice bonus. It's almost like he's back living in Madrid again. Almost. At least until he hears Carra's booming voice across the room and he's back in his home town again. Settling in is taking no time at all, as it turns out.


End file.
